Research

Working Paper
Mishkin E. Gender and Sibling Dynamics in the Intergenerational Transmission of Entrepreneurship. Harvard University Department of Economics. Working Paper.Abstract
This project uses gender and sibling dynamics to explore the intergenerational transmission of entrepreneurship.  I find that the transmission of self-employment from fathers to daughters is significantly reduced when there are sons in the family.  I interpret this as evidence that the intergenerational transmission of entrepreneurship is driven at least in part by costly investments by parents, which can be crowded out by brothers.  I investigate specific types of parental investments – transfers of money, businesses, and human capital – that potentially underlie this transmission and conclude that sons crowd out human capital acquisition by daughters.  If all daughters of self-employed men experienced the “sisters-only” level of transmission, the overall gender gap in self-employment would be reduced by nearly 20 percent.
mishkin_entrepreneurship_jmp.pdf
2014
Mishkin E, Straub J. The Redistributive Effects of British Subsidies to Higher Education. Social Policy and Society. 2014;13 (3) :337-355. mishkin_and_straub_2014.pdf